I Do … Not Want to Spoil “The Drama” (But Maybe I Should?)

There’s a well-known adage that goes something like this: “Once is an accident. Two is a coincidence. And three is a pattern.” Well, consider this:

First, we had Jessie Buckley in The Bride.

Then, we had Samara Weaving in the Ready or Not sequel.

Now, we have Zendaya in The Drama.  

That’s three. We officially have a trend, folks: 2026 is the year of brides on the edge.

(And that’s without even mentioning Taylor Swift.)

You’ve likely seen Zendaya and her co-star Robert Pattinson out promoting The Drama, laughing about her own supposed nuptials and sneaking into other people’s weddings. Or maybe you’ve seen the teaser, which gives the impression that the movie is a comedy about a couple with some serious wedding jitters.

Well, that’s part of what the movie’s about. There are some laughs. And the couple does hesitate on their way to the big day. But to say more would be spoiling the movie entirely. 

And yet, you’ve come here to learn what I thought of it. So, we have a bit of a situation. Here’s the non-spoiler version: Seeing this movie was not the worst thing I’ve ever done. But it’s problematic in ways I never expected it would be. And I’m gonna leave it there.

If you haven’t seen The Drama, stop reading now and come back later. If you’ve seen the movie, or you don’t care if it’s ruined, then ignore this warning and read on … 

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SPOILER ALERT!

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In The Drama, Pattinson plays Charlie, who learns a shocking secret about his fiancée, Emma (Zendaya), days before they’re to be wed: When she was 15 years old, Emma planned a school shooting. Brought the gun to school and everything. She changed her mind and never went through with it, but still … she came darned close.

The admission leads Emma’s closest friend (Alana Haim) to distance herself from Emma, and Charlie to question whether he has ever really known his bride-to-be. Should the couple go through with the wedding, or is this a deal-breaker? How much empathy should be afforded to someone who was once a deeply troubled teenager, and who, 15 years later, is seemingly on a much more grounded path?

A provocative premise, for sure, but also one that will likely make anyone who’s lived in America these last 30 years uncomfortable. After all, there were at least 161 shootings in 2024 and 2025 alone. And those are just the ones that happened in schools.

And yet, the biggest problem with the film itself isn’t that it asks these questions; it’s that it tries to explore them while still operating in many ways like a rom-com. The Drama was written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario), and it stubbornly tries to be two incompatible movies at the same time. What sounds intriguing in theory ends up feeling like tonal whiplash stretched across a very long hour and 45 minutes.

The tones don’t just clash; they undermine each other. Moments that should feel light are poisoned by Emma’s revelation, and moments that aim for moral gravity get diluted by the movie’s insistence on quirky relationship beats. The comedy, then, is often awkward and uncomfortable. At multiple points, a kind of narrative paralysis sets in.

By the end, The Drama seems to run out of steam, never quite knowing how to resolve its central question. It feels like a movie stuck arguing with itself — and taking a bit too long to end. When we finally reach the conclusion, it feels like a cop-out.

For the record, Zendaya and Pattinson do everything they can to ground the proceedings. Their performances are committed, nuanced, and often compelling. But even these two talented actors can’t resolve a premise that the film doesn’t effectively reconcile.

Is the movie disrespectful to victims and survivors of school shootings, and their families, who live with the trauma and won’t want to see a movie that humanizes a school shooter, even if she never actually pulled the trigger? I’ll let them say so: One Columbine parent has already condemned the movie, though it doesn’t sound as if he’s actually seen it.

Is it wrong for A24 to not be more upfront about what the movie is really about and to insist that audiences keep the secret? Probably. (Though, in fairness, the trailer did hint strongly that the film was more than meets the eye.)

And finally, given how sensitive the subject matter is to so many people, would critics like me be providing a service if they clued audiences in before they saw the movie? Maybe. Possibly.

What I can say for sure is that The Drama is surprising, but not in a way I totally enjoyed.

I give it a C.